Skylight Music Theatre Announces FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, AMADEUS And More for 2025-26 Season

Skylight Music Theatre has announced 2025-26 season, marking the company's 66th year of bringing exceptional music theatre to Milwaukee audiences. 

“I am thrilled with our 66th season, which has something for everyone; a beloved  Broadway classic, a family-friendly favorite, a wildly popular play with music ABOUT  music, a Wisconsin-centric production celebrating its 25th anniversary, and a modern  twist on a Shakespeare tale that is sure to become an instant hit with audiences!” said  Executive Director Susan Varela. 

“Skylight Music Theatre's 25/26 Season builds on the success of our past few seasons with  a wide variety of shows that, again, have recognizable titles. Even if you think you know  these shows, you haven't seen them ‘the Skylight way'!” said Artistic Director Michael  Unger. “Our 66th season also boasts several first-time partnerships and collaborations  that continue our commitment to the Milwaukee community. We have two educational  partnerships with leading musical theatre programs – Marquette University and UW Milwaukee - that will give professional opportunities onstage and backstage to students  before they graduate. With our first show, Fiddler on the Roof, in addition to collaborating  with Marquette University, there will be a partnership with Violins of Hope, which ties one  of the world's greatest musicals to today's headlines through a meaningful historical lens.  The production will have stringed instruments that were rescued from the Holocaust  onstage and in the orchestra pit. Both the show and this partnership are testaments to the  suffering and resilience of a displaced people, longing for a homeland. Our second show,  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat brings Technicolor joy to the Cabot stage  for the first time. This production will involve several area youth choirs as a way to bring  community onstage as never before. Our next offering, Amadeus, is only the second play in  Skylight's history, but we give it the ‘Skylight Treatment' with a live classical ensemble to  accompany the passion and intrigue of one of the greatest musical biographies ever told.  The next show is a warm Wisconsin homecoming with The Spitfire Grill, set in Wisconsin,  written by Wisconsinites, based on the great film of the same name. This is the 25th  anniversary production of the show and will be directed by one of the authors. We close  out the season with a hilarious adaptation of one of William Shakespeare's most popular  plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream. In this production, we add the word ‘ROCKIN'' to the  title with an eclectic score that is sure to have you jamming along with the Bard's brilliant  wordplay. With a colorful cast of characters, from royalty, to lovers, to rustics, we finish  our 66th season with a professional world premiere musical that looks to a great literary  past while stirring in a modern musical present. Skylight once again brings to Milwaukee  audiences a variety of works presented as you've never seen them before, to YOUR home  for Music Theatre.” 

Skylight Music Theatre's 2025-26 Season

Fiddler on the Roof

October 3 – 26, 2025  

Book by Joseph Stein, Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick o The award-winning classic, Fiddler on the Roof, returns to the Cabot Stage in  an unforgettable way. This masterpiece tells the story of Tevye, a humble  milkman, and his struggle to maintain his Jewish traditions amidst a  

changing world. As his daughters challenge societal norms and seek love on  their own terms, Tevye grapples with balancing tradition and progress.  Simultaneously, the encroaching menace of pogroms threaten their close knit community. This important tale is amplified in Skylight's production  through a powerful partnership with Violins of Hope, showcasing instruments salvaged from the Holocaust, bearing witness to both devastation and enduring spirit. We will also collaborate for the first time  with Marquette University, onstage and backstage. This production explores the universal themes of cultural identity and the human cost of  displacement in a deeply moving and timely experience. 

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

November 14 – December 28,  2025  

Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber 

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a dazzling, family-fun musical adventure. Follow biblical superstar Joseph, blessed with prophetic  dreams, through his trials, tribulations, and triumphs, after his jealous  brothers sell him into slavery. From outcast to Pharaoh's right-hand man, Joseph's journey is a joyous explosion of catchy tunes, dazzling colors, and  irresistible energy. This high-spirited show is perfect for all ages and will fill  your holidays with laughter and song. This production will be a true  community experience with several local children's choirs joining in on the  fun! Join us for a spectacular celebration of family, forgiveness, and the  power of dreams – a Technicolor spectacle you won't want to miss this  holiday season! 

Amadeus:

January 23 – February 8, 2026  

Play by Peter Shaffer 

Witness genius and envy collide in Amadeus. Salieri, Vienna's court  composer, grapples with bitter jealousy as the flamboyant Mozart's divine  talent eclipses his own. This gripping drama unveils a battle of wits and egos  as renegade upstart Mozart rises to the upper echelon of 18th-century  classical music. Experience this magnificent theatrical event given a novel  Skylight Music Theatre treatment, featuring a live chamber orchestra as a  backdrop to the intrigue and excitement of sheer genius versus mere  mediocrity. 

The Spitfire Grill

February 27 – March 15, 2026 

Music and Book by James Valcq, Lyrics and Book by Fred Alley, Based on the  film by Lee David Zlotoff 

o Celebrating its 25th anniversary, The Spitfire Grill makes a welcome return to  the Cabot Stage. Percy Talbot, fresh out of prison, seeks a fresh start in  Gilead, Wisconsin, finding solace and community at Hannah's struggling  Spitfire Grill. When Hannah proposes a "write a letter, win the grill" contest,  the town's secrets and dreams are stirred. This poignant musical, filled with  folk-infused melodies, explores themes of redemption, second chances,  and the power of human connection. Skylight is honored to have this  anniversary production directed by James Valcq, the composer and co-book  writer, bringing a unique and authentic vision to this beloved Wisconsin-born  tale. Join us for an unforgettable theatrical homecoming. 

A Rockin' Midsummer Night's Dream

April 10 – 26, 2026  

Book and Lyrics by William Shakespeare, Lyrics and Music by Eric Svejcar

Conceived, Co-Lyrics, Directed by Michael Unger 

Experience a brand new take on William Shakespeare's beloved comedy.  Journey from ancient Athens, into the woods, and back again, as we follow  impassioned lovers, hilarious rustics, fantastical spirits, and feuding royalty  in this magical, rock-and-roll rendition of one of the greatest and most performed plays of all time. Dreams become reality, reality becomes  fantasy, and love restores balance in an otherwise chaotic world in this  modern musical adaptation that is predominantly word-for-word  

Shakespeare's text. This production also celebrates another first-time  collaboration, onstage and backstage, with University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. With a phenomenal, eclectic score that ranges from power  ballads to hysterical rock-opera rhapsodies, this show promises equal parts  laughter and love story, showcasing some of the greatest words that quill  pen ever set to paper.

To post a comment, you must register and login.